Wiring clip



C. W. COCHRAN WIRING CLIP Filed July 14, 1959 Feb. 12, 1963 Ineuo ik. (Raw/ence W CochTcw/a,

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United States Patent O This invention relates to clips which are adapted to hold Varying sizes and numbers of Wires, conduit, tubing and the like, and inore specically, to provide a clip which will prevent the said wires and the like from moving within the clip once it is engaged.

An object of the invention is to provide a clip associated with a strap like liner which will partially circumscribe varying sizes and numbers of wire and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clip which will securely hold varying sizes and numbers of wire, conduit, and the like to a support.

Other objects ot the invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a plan view of the clip;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the clip and liner;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the liner with the center portion broken away;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the liner with the center portion broken away;

FIG. 5 is a section of the clip and liner engaged with an apertured support and a single wire; and

FiG. 6 is a section of the clip and liner engaged with an apertured support and a conduit of several wires.

Referring to the drawing, FIGS. 1 through 4, there is shown a clip in, and a liner i2. The clip l@ has a pair of arms integral with a bight portion 14 to form a generally U-shaped construction. The two arms, referred to as a support engaging arm 16 and a clamping arm l, according to their function, are in spaced opposed relationship, as best shown in FiG. 2. The clamping arm i8 has a terminal end 2% which is bent first in a direction converging on the arm lo and then ared away from the said arm lo to form a substantially V-shaped portion whose portion closest to the arm lo will be referred to as an apex 22. An aperture 2d is formed in the center of the apex 22. The support engaging arm i6 is dished toward the apex 22 of the clamping arm 13 to form a cupped portion 26 as shown in FIG. 2. An entry aperture it? is formed in the center of the cupped portion 26 having the substantially same axis as the aperture 24 of the apex 22. lt will be noted that the major portion of the support engaging arm 1.6 is in substantially spaced parallel relationship with a line drawn from the midpoint of the bight portion le to a point between the apex 22 and the cupped portion 26 whil the major portion of the clamping arm t8 is in spaced angular relationship with said line. The signiiicance of these facts will be pointed out hereinafter. At a predetermined distance from the bight portion 14, a fastener element 23 is formed from the support engaging arm i6. The fastener element 2S may be any conguration necessary to engage a support 3%. However, applicant has shown the element 28 as sheared from a portion of the bight i4 and the support engaging arm 16 in the general shape of a letter S. in other words, the element 23 comprises an arched portion with a free end 32, said end 32 is bent to diverge from the support engaging arm 16 and has a convex portion 34 at the point where the said free end is bent. The said element 28 lies below the support engaging arm i6 when the clip lo is in its normal position and may contact the said support engaging arm 16 at its convex portion 3d as shown in FIG. 2. The liner i2 comprises a tlat, strip portion 36 having one 3,077,0i8 Patented Feb. 12, 1953 terminus tapered 37 and the other terminus formed into an ellipsoid 38 as best shown in FIG. 4. Almost any form may be used rather than the ellipsoid 38, such as a sphere, rectangle, etc. as long as it will fit snugly into the cupped portion 26 in a manner to be described hereinafter.

To engage the liner 12 with the clip l0 the tapered terminus 37 of the strip portion 36 is passed between the walls of the entry aperture 41) in the cupped portion 26 and then through the walls of the aperture 24 formed 1n the apex 22. The liner 12 is then pulled in a direction away from the cupped portion 26 until the ellipsoid 3S rests against the edges adjacent the aperture 4l). The width of the aperture 4-9 is, of course, smaller than the width of the ellipsoid 38 so that the ellipsoid 38 cannot easily be drawn between the walls of the aperture at). The height of the cupped portion 26 should be slightly less than the thickness of the ellipsoid 38 so that when the liner i2 is fully drawn up, the bottoni of the ellipsoid will fall slightly below the line of the major portion of the support engaging arm 16, as shown in FIG. 2. This will prevent the ellipsoid 38 from interfering with an even contact between the support 30 and the support engaging arm 16. The liner 12 may be made of plastic, rubber, leather or other lexible and compressible material. The applicant has used certain formulations of vinyl very successfully. The compressi'oility feature is necessary so that the thicker ellipsoid 38 can be compressed into the smaller height of the cupped portion 26.

To engage the clip iti and the liner 12 to an apertured support 3%, the fastener element 28 is engaged with the walls of the support aperture 42 with the convex portion 34 of the fastener element 23 resting against one side of the support 3i) and the support engaging arm 16 resting against the opposite side as shown in FIG. 6. The e1- lipsoid 35 of the liner 12 is securely held between support 3b and the cupped portion 26 of the support engaging arm loas shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

To engage a wire 44 with the clip 1t) and liner 12, the wire 44 is passed between the apex 22 of the terminal end 2@ of the clamping arm 1S and the cupped portion 26 of the support engaging arm to with the axis of the wire 44 in right angle relationship with the axis of the aperture 24 and the entry aperture 4t?. As the wire ist continues past the cupped portion 26, it presses the flat strip portion 36 of the liner l2 toward the bight portion 14 and between the arms lr6 and 13. This action also causes the free end of the strip portion 36 lying above the clamp ing arm 13 to be shortened as the said portion 36 partially circumscribes the wire 44 and substantially follows the contours of a part of the support engaging arm i6 and the clamping arrn l2 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Because of the narrow neck formed by the apex 22 and the cupped portion 26, the strip portion 36 therefore forms a circumference greater than which in turn results in a tight holding action of the wire 4d to the clip l@ by the liner 12.

The form of the arms t6 and i8 becomes of greater importance when a wire 44 of comparatively great diarneter is engaged with the clip 10 and the liner l2. The angular relationship of the clamping arm 1S with line drawn from the bight portion 14 coupled with its being bent in a converging direction toward the engaging arm i6 has a twofold effect in securely holding the wire 44. In the first place, the construction tends to increase the number of degrees that the liner 12 will circumscribe the wire 44 and secondly, to act as a stop to prevent the wire from being pulled from the clip 10. The terminal end of the support engaging arm 16 may be flared away from the clamping arm 1S to assist in engagement of the wire 44 with the clip lll.

Since certain other obvious modiications may be made in this device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A fastening assembly for axial insertion in an apertured Work support adapted to retain one or more conduits, or wires and the like to the support including a pair of spaced arms joined by a bight, support engaging means extending downwardly from a medial lateral portion of one of said arms, and a pliable liner passing through an aperture in one of said arms adjacent a free end thereof and passing through an aperture in the other of said arms and dening a closure adjacent to free ends of said arms, said liner adapted for lateral movement between said arms upon insertion of a conduit, wire and the like, and one end of saidl liner having a bulbous portion of greater cross-sectional area than the aperture in the first of said arms and the other end tapered to facilitate insertion through the aperture of the second of said arms.

2. A fastening clip assembly for holding one or more 20 wires, conduits, and the like, to a work support, said fastener clip assembly including a spring clip member having a pair of spaced arms joined by a bight and having a work support engaging means whereby said fastener clip assembly may be attached to a work support, and a 25 pliable liner, passing through an aperture in one of said arms adjacent a free end thereof and being attached to the other of said arms adjacent a free end thereof and normally dening a closure adjacent free ends of said arms, a portion of said liner adapted for lateral movement between said arms upon insertion of a wire, conduit, or the like, to protect the wire, conduit, or the like, against contact with the clip when inserted between said arms.

3. A fastening assembly for attachment to a work support to retain one or more conduits, wires, or the like, to the support including a pair of spaced arms joined by a bight, and a pliable liner passing through an aperture in one of said arms adjacent a free end thereof and passing through an aperture in the other of said arms adjacent a free end thereof and deiining a closure adjacent free ends of said arms, said liner adapted for lateral movement between said arms upon insertion of a conduit, wire, or the like, and one end of said liner having a portion of greater cross sectional area than the aperture in the first of said arms to prevent disassembly of the liner from said arm when it is being moved laterally between said arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,781,145 Williams Nov. 11, 1930 2,418,111 Dahlander Apr. 1, 1947 2,434,720 Robertson et al Jan.f 20,` 1948 2,466,247 Land Apr. 5, 1949 2,512,982 Tinnerman June 27, 1950 

2. A FASTENING CLIP ASSEMBLY FOR HOLDING ONE OR MORE WIRES, CONDUITS, AND THE LIKE, TO A WORK SUPPORT, SAID FASTENER CLIP ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A SPRING CLIP MEMBER HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED ARMS JOINED BY A BIGHT AND HAVING A WORK SUPPORT ENGAGING MEANS WHEREBY SAID FASTENER CLIP ASSEMBLY MAY BE ATTACHED TO A WORK SUPPORT, AND A PLIABLE LINER, PASSING THROUGH AN APERTURE IN ONE OF SAID ARMS ADJACENT A FREE END THEREOF AND BEING ATTACHED TO THE OTHER OF SAID ARMS ADJACENT A FREE END THEREOF AND NORMALLY DEFINING A CLOSURE ADJACENT FREE ENDS OF SAID ARMS, A PORTION OF SAID LINER ADAPTED FOR LATERAL MOVE- 